1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image forming apparatuses, log transfer methods, and log transfer systems, and particularly relates to an image forming apparatus, a log transfer method, and a log transfer system which transfer log information to a transfer destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals and laser printers have been provided with connectivity to networks such as the Internet and local area networks (LAN), thereby allowing clients on the networks to use these apparatuses. In image forming apparatuses connected to networks, log information such as a job log and an access log is kept as a record, for the purpose of monitoring the state of usage and maintaining security. Patent Document 1, for example, discloses an image forming apparatus that records log information.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-149380
Typical image forming apparatuses have only a limited memory capacity for use in recording log information (hereinafter referred to as log information memory capacity). If the log information memory capacity is used up, old log information needs to be erased to record new log information. Further, image forming apparatuses are not so reliable in terms of the recording of log information. In light of this, it may be conceivable to configure image forming apparatuses such as to transfer log information to a log collecting server through a network. The log collecting server may have a large log information memory capacity, and may be highly reliable in terms of the recording of log information.
Even a log collecting server having a relatively large log information memory capacity, however, ends up running out of the log information memory space in a short time if log information is transferred from a plurality of image forming apparatuses.
Further, an image forming apparatus may fail to transfer log information due to network failure or in the situation where the log collecting server is down. If the transfer of log information continues to fail, the image forming apparatus may end up running out of the memory space for recording log information before successfully transferring the log information. If the transfer of log information continues to fail, further, the log information may be lost because of the unreliable performance of the image forming apparatus.
Accordingly, there is a need for an image forming apparatus, a log transfer method, and a log transfer system which can reduce the size of log information needing to be transferred, can lower the possibility of failing to transfer log information, and can report an indication of the number of log information pieces that were lost or erased prior to transfer.